Self-threading and threadtensioning shuttle



March 17, 1942. A. G. RUSSELL SELF-THREADING AND THREAD-TENSIONING SHUTTLE Filed April 17,' 1940 ,H m m gms N m I Alm l l l zo? l -"l A rstpick starts;

vPatented Mar. 17, 1942 AUNITED STATES PATENToI-Flce SELF-THREADING ANDl THREAD- TENSIONING SHUTTLE Arthur G. Russell, Longmeadow, Mass., assigner to Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Co., Inc.,

sonville, Conn.,

Thompa. corporation of Massachusetts application Api-i1 17, 1940, serial No. 230,074` 10 claims. (ci. 13s-2m This invention relates to an improved automatic self-threading and thread-tensioning shuttle providing an improved shuttle for use with an automatic bobbin changing unit, particularly for carpet looms, which shuttle will both satisfactorily thread itself and supplythe necessary high tension for carpet work on the first pick as well as on subsequent picks. Though various self-threading automatic shuttles are on the market, none of these in my experience has proved to be satisfactory in carpet looms because they have not both threaded automatically and operated with the required high tension on the first pick. In -such prior devices tension members commonly include a pair of pads held together by a spring but -when sufficient tension has been put upon the spring for carpet work such prior devices as tried by me either would longitudinal thread passage 5, is provided with a recess 6 housing a tensionldevice unit, genery ally designated 8,- which comprises a cage Ill with fixed jaw I2 and movable U-shaped jaw I4 which are -held in the cage III by means of a pin I6. I n the preferred form of the device, as shown, the fixed jaw I2 is dovetailed into the cage III as well as being held therein by the pin I6 when the parts are assembled by first placing in the locked as by a set screw .22'. 'I'he entire assembly of the tension device unit 8 is held in position in Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing certain i principal parts of the removable tension device as disassembled;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tension device in place in the shuttle with more remote partsof the shuttle broken away, the thread being shown in place;

Fig. 4 is a. side elevation of the tension device unit separate from the shuttle and including the Y parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of the shuttle taken through the tension device and showing the thread just as the thread starts to enter and becomes tensioned by the tension device as the Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to that of Fig. 5 but showing the thread as posi- Fig. '7 is a cross sectional view similar toFlg. 6 but showing the thread in the normal running position.

Referring to the drawing, in which'like numerals represent like parts, ashuttle having a recessed or chambered body 2,

` tioned-just after the first pick has started: and

cage the movable jaw I4, then the fixed jaw I2,

and entering the pin I6 through the holes Illa, lla, and I 2a, so that the movable jaw Il is slidably held therein with its top lip overlying andv contacting with thel adjacent top surface Ib of the cage I0, The movablefjaw I4 is normally pressed towards the Jaw I2 by a spring'll, the pressure of which may be adjustably .regulated by a screw 20 (see Fig. 5) which in turn may be the shuttle body 2 by a screw 24 (see Figs. 1 and 3) which also serves to prevent any rotation of' the tension device unit in the shuttle.l y

In Figs. 1' and 3 there is shown the thread T,

the latter being led from the bobbin B through the tension device and, on the thereafter, through the eye I.

The threading into the tension-*device takesl place on the first pick after the transfer of the fresh bobbin into the shuttle whereby the thread,

when led across the top of the tension device,

is both easily and surely engaged, as shown in Fig. 5, and is subjected to the desired tensionduring the first pick by the elongated wedge-like opening between the jaws. These jaws provide a ready immediate engagement of the thread on the rst pick, and draw the thread down successively to the position shown in Fig. 6, just after the rst pick is started, and thenflnally to the l position shown in Fig. 7, which it occupies in regular operation. The thread quickly reaches this position on the first pick because of the slant ofv the rearward margin of the thread-engaging portions of the surfaces and of their substantially fixed angular relationship. This slant (see Figs. 1 and 4) is forwardly and downwardlyl towards the eye of the shuttle. The normal level of the thread, as shown in' Fig, 7, is opposite the spring I8. y

The jaw Il, while movable to and from the Jaw I2, maintains a substantially fixed angular relationship thereto despite the fact that the jaws are wedged further and further apart as the thread progresses from the position shown in usual eye 4, and Fig. 5 to that of Fig. '1.v Such substantially fixed second pick and angular relationship results from the relatively wide spacing of the holes Ila in the spaced opposite legs of the U'shaped jaw I4 notwithstanding ample clearance in the holes Ma which permits the freely slidable movement on the pin I6. Because of the fair curves which facilitate easy, certain, and rapid entrance of the thread into initial thread-engaging relationship, as shown in Fig. 5, a tension is at once automatically applied and, because of the substantially fixed angular relationship of the spring-pressed jaws and shape of the space therebetween, the tensionl is somewhat increased as the thread moves downward -to the position, shown in Fig. 7, against the pressure of the spring I 8. Thereafter the tension remains practically constant at its maximum. It is not essential that the opening between the thread-contacting faces of the jaws be wedgeshaped near its lower end, but there the threadcontacting faces may be parallel, provided the faces are maintained in a substantially fixed relation to one another whatever may be the position of the thread between them.

It will be seen from the above that the invention provides in a shuttle the ready and prompt v thread entry between the friction surfaces which secures the high thread tension required in carpet looms both during the first pick as well as on subsequent picks in normal operation.

Having described my invention, what I wish to claim andv secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An automatic threading and thread-tensioning shuttle including a shuttle body with a bobbin chamber and an eye providing a longitudinal thread passage centrally of the' shuttle, a fixed jaw and a relatively movable jaw for tensioning the thread, located between said chamber and said passage providing a wedge-shaped entrance therebetween to initially engage and tension an entering thread and presenting upper faces merging with substantially lower respective normal thread-engaging tensioning portions of said jaws substantially at the level ofsaid passage, said jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to said normal thread-engaging tensioning portions towards said passage, guiding means for said movable .jaw to maintain said jaws in substantially fixed angular relationship iri their relative movement to and from one another, and means yieldingly urging said jaws tgether in thread-engaging relation.

2. An automatic threading and thread-tensioning shuttle including a shuttle body with a. bobbin `chamber and an eye providing a longitudinal thread passage centrally of the shuttle, a fixed jaw and a relatively movable jaw for tensioning the thread, located between said chamber and said passage providing a wedge-shaped entrance therebetween to initially engage and tension an entering thread and presenting upper faces merging in a continuous fair curve with substantially lower respective normal thread-engaging tensioning portions of said jaws substantially at the level of said passage, said jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to said normal thread-engaging tensioning portions towards said passage, guiding means for said movable jaw to maintain said jaws in substantially xed angular relationship in their relative movement to and from one another, and means yieldingly urging said jaws together.

3. An automatic threading and thread-tensioning shuttle including a shuttle body with a bobbin chamber and an eye providing a longitudinal thread passage centrally of the shuttle, relatively movable thread-tensioning jaws including one U-shaped jaw and another jaw arranged between the legs ofthe U-shaped jaw, both of said jaws being located between said chamber and said passage providing a wedge-shaped entrance therebetween to initially engage and tension an entering thread and presenting upper faces merging in a continuous curve with substantially lower respective normal thread-engaging tensioning portions of said jaws substantially at the level of said passage, said jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to said normal threadengaging tensioning portions towards said passage, means for maintaining said jaws in substantially xed angular relationship in their relative movement to and from one another, and means yieldingly urging said jaws together.

4. An automatic threading and thread-tensioning shuttle including a shuttle body with a bobbin chamber and an eye providing a longitudinal thread passage centrally of the shuttle, relatively movable thread-tensioning jaws including one U-shaped jaw and another jaw arranged between the legs of the U-shaped jaw, both of said jaws being located between said chamber and said passage providing a wedge-shaped entrance :therebetween to initially engage and tension an entering thread and presenting upper faces merging in a continuous curve of increasing radius with substantially lower respective normal thread-engaging tensioning portions of said jaws substantially at the level of said passage, said jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to said normal thread-engaging tensioning portions in said passage, means for guiding ythe said U-shaped :law for maintaining it in substantially fixed angular relationship in the relative movement of said jaws to and from one another, and means yieldingly urging said jaws together.

5. An automatic threading and thread-tensioning shuttle including a. shuttle body with a bobbin chamber and an eye providing a longitudinal thread passage centrally of the shuttle, relatively linearly movable thread-tensioning jaws, including one jaw having laterally spaced axially aligned holes therein, between said chamber and said passage providing a wedge-shaped entrance therebetween to initially engage and tension an entering thread and presenting ,upper faces merging in a continuous curve of increasing radius with substantially lower respective normal thread-engaging tensioning portions of said jaws substantially at the level of said passage, said jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly andforwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to said normal thread-engaging tensioning portions towards said passage, a fixed pin passing through said spaced holes and on.which the jaw having said holes is sndabie, said pin maintaimng said jaws in fixed angular relationship in the relative linear movement of said jaws to and from one yieldingly urging said jaws mal thread-engaging tensioning portions of said jaws substantially at; the level of said passage,

said jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to said normal thread-engaging tensioning portions towards said passage, a removable cage in which said jaws are mounted, guiding means for said movable jaw to maintain said jaws in substantially xed angular relationship in their relative movement to and from one another, and means yieldingly urging said jaws together in thread-engaging relation.

7. A thread-tensioning device for a shuttle comprising a pair of thread-tensioning jaws presenting opposed faces which are disposed in angular relationship relative to each other. one of said jaws being slidable toward and away from the other jaw, a, guide to direct said sliding movement, and a bearing extending away from the face of said slidable jaw in the direction of said guide and engaging said guide to minimize rocking movement of the slidable jaw and to preserve said angular relationship during its sliding movement.

8. A thread-tensioning device for a shuttle comprising a. pair of' thread-tensioning jaws presenting opposed faces which are disposed in angular relationship relative to each other, one of said jaws being slidable toward and away from the other Jaw, a guide engaged by said slidable jaw to direct its sliding movement, and a bearing member secured to the slidable jaw and extending in the direction of the guide therefrom to engage said guide at a point spaced from the point of engagement of the guide with the slidable jaw whereby to minimize rocking movement of the slidable'jaw and to preserve said angular relationship during its sliding movement.

9. An automatic threading and thread-tensioning shuttle including a shuttle body having a guide to direct the run of the thread in a predetermined path after the rst pick, a pair of thread-tensioning jaws presenting opposed faces, one of said jaws being slidable relative to the other from an open position where the faces are spread apart by the reception of yarn between them to a closed position assumed by the faces when no thread is between them, the said opposed faces being angularly disposed relative to each other to form, when in said closed position, a gradually tapering slot extending` downwardly at least to the level of said predetermined path, a guide to direct the sliding movement of the slidable jaw, and a. bearing extending away from the face of said slidable jaw in the direction of said guide and engaging said guide to minimize rocking movement of the slidable jaw toward and away\fr0m the other jaw and to preserve said angular relationship during its sliding movement.

10. An automatic threading and thread-ten-Y sioning shuttle including a shuttle body having a guide to direct the run of the thread in a predetermined path after the first pick, a pair of thread-tensioning jaws presenting opposed faces, one of' said Jaws being slidable relative to the other from an open position'where the faces are spread apart by the reception of yarn between them to a closed position assumed by the faces when no threadis between them, the said opv posed faces being angularly disposed relative to each other to form, when in said closed position, a gradually tapering slot extending downwardly at least to the level of said predetermined path, a guide to directthe sliding movement of the slidable jaw, and a bearing extending away from the face of saidslidable jaw in the direction of said guide and engaging said guide to minimize rocking movement of the slidable jaw toward and away from the other jaw and to preserve said angular relationship during its sliding movement, said Jaws having their rear thread-engaging margins inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby an entering thread initially engaged and tensioned is urged and moves downwardly towards and to the level of said predetermined path.

ARTHUR G. RUSSELL. 

